Acting
This stuff happens everywhere, Part IV
29 March 2010
Article Four in my occasional series on things that many people in Hollywood talk about as if they weren’t true of other businesses or other cities. (For more, see Part I, Part II and Part III.)
Things about The Biz and LA that are not unique, #4
If you are over the age of X, you need to worry about looking younger
Sorry about the “X” factor, but it’s hard to put an exact number on it. Some say if you’re over 25, you face this concern in Hollywood. Same say 30. Some say late 30s. Whatever the number is doesn’t change the fact that there is a number where things shift statistically, and beyond that number the nature of finding work changes. Some find that number to work in their favor, but many do not. I could talk about age in the acting profession at some length, but that’s not the topic of this article. This article is about the fact that job seekers in lots of other industries face a concern over age as well.
My post today was inspired directly by a blog post titled Take 10 Years Off Your Image. It’s aimed at jobs that have nothing to do with acting or anything remotely connected to it — but how apt the title is. I think most people in Hollywood would like to take 10 years of their image. I know youngsters who wish they could do that! And of course, I have also met some people who do not feel that way because they know they’re in their sweet spot, and/or they are generally contented individuals.
Speaking of the latter option, one online job discussion board was discussing this article, and the following wisdom struck me:
These [ideas to take 10 years off your image] could be useful if you are desperate for a job and need every advantage, but another philosophy is simply trying to be yourself, with honesty and integrity — you might not land as many jobs, but you may be happier and more well suited with the job you do land.
Read the article. Now! Do that while I … uh … go to the gym. Okay, honestly? And that whole integrity thing? Okay, the truth is that I might just do a few pushups here at home instead. Or watch “Family Guy.”